Eddie Gaedel Pub and Grill coming to Elburn

ELBURN – Annette and Dick Theobald knew they had a small space for their new sports bar and grill.

So the longtime Elburn restaurateurs decided to name their newest establishment after one of the smallest athletes to ever take the field.

Next month, the Theobalds, along with partners Rob and Myra Ottoson, will open the Eddie Gaedel Pub and Grill.

Located in the storefront at 117 N. Main St., which was most recently the Northside Pub, the new establishment will feature traditional sports bar fare, said Annette Theobald.

“We’re focusing our marketing on sports enthusiasts who enjoy a great cold beverage and quality food,” said Theobald.

But those visiting Eddie Gaedel’s will also be able to order pizza offered by the Theobalds’ current restaurant, Paisano’s Pizza, and have it brought over to the sports bar across the street.

The Theobalds and their partners, acting through a corporation, the Mardot Group LLC, purchased the property in February, according to Kane County property records.

Theobald said the new owners are “updating the interior of the place,” and soon will turn their attention to the building’s exterior, to “make it more inviting.”

Theobald said the new sports bar will be managed by her husband, while she will “be taking on a more active role at Paisano’s.”

Theobald said the restaurant is named after Eddie Gaedel, who made history becoming the shortest player to ever appear in a Major League Baseball game. Gaedel, at 3-feet-7-inches tall, made one plate appearance as a pinch hitter for the St. Louis Browns on Aug. 19, 1951. Presenting a minuscule strike zone, Gaedel walked on four pitches. The plate appearance was the result of a publicity stunt by legendary Browns and White Sox owner Bill Veeck.

Theobald said naming the small bar after Gaedel seemed a good fit.

“We wanted a name with a sense of mystery and intrigue that only sports fans would know,” she said.